Big pharma at it again? Statins

[junkman]

Don't know if any of you are seeing the recent Heart Associations risk calculator on line recently.

Apparently, it has been called out for over-estimating risks which would result in significant over prescription of statins.

Not only is the risk over estimated, I found that plugging in numbers to the calculator the stated risk for heart attack and stroke can go from being equal to "optimal" to 7 times greater than optimal by just crossing a threshold for systolic blood pressure or total cholesterol.

In my case, increasing cholesterol from 179 to 180 with nothing else changed resulted in risk going from optimal to 7x optimal.

The same was true from systolic blood pressure going from 119 to 120.

It appears this whole media blitz and the calculator are just marketing exercises from big pharma. It is quite disgusting. I know my last visit to the doctor, they recommended statins to me. I was a bit surprised, but I guess that with the push from big pharma doctors are being encouraged to prescribe this stuff.

(I didn't fill the prescription by the way. I was wondering about that decision, but after this bruhaha I am thinking I made the right choice.)

 

[Scootaloo]

Ok and this has what to do with vaping?

No offence but I don't quite see what this thread has to do with vaping or anything

 

[junkman]

Just further confirmation of how evil big pharma is and how reality has nothing to do with what organizations such as Heart associations or Lung associations recommend for the public.

 

[dwarfcat]

its not the cholesterol that damages arteries its inflammation that damages the arteries. Inflammation thats caused by the very diet so highly recommended by people who know "best" for us. Then the cholesterol sticks to all the nice damage created by the inflammation and we pay dearly for their big money making miracle savior drug statin! Itll save you from the cholesterol which is natural and needed for correct bodily function! O wait, itll destroy your liver too! We are all just a big heard of cows for the slaughter and profit of our overlords.

 

[dwarfcat]

They would have to tie me down and force statin drugs down my throat before id take a single pill

 

[FlamingoTutu]

I saw the headlines, didn't read the stories, and immediately thought about BP and their worthless NRTs they push. I'm glad they are being called out on it.

 

[Moedog]

When I was diagnosed with diabetes, the doctor also found that my cholesterol level was very slightly elevated (for the first time in my life). He immediately slapped a statin prescription on me. Being a good patient, I faithfully took that crap, and was horribly sick for the next six months, even though he changed the prescription several times. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer and told him it was over, no matter what. That was some years ago, and my good and bad cholesterol levels have been perfect ever since (and I have it checked every 3 months). I've gotta think statins are one nasty drug...

 

[AgentAnia]

I read the report on this at the NBC news website this morning. Reading the comments, was encouraged to see that the majority of them expressed sketicism about the drug's overuse and suspicion that the new guidelines were just a ploy by BP to sell more of their products. Doctors came in for their share of criticism as well...

(This thread has to do with vaping because it correlates to our (well-founded, I believe) conviction that BP is behind most of the anti-ecig movement because ecig use eats into their profits from NRT products.)

 

[Judge Dredd]

Moved to The Lounge.